The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-16

time evil things have been done, It
has not been at the instigation or with
the sanction of the countrJ. The COM
pany has had the merits and the faults
of conservative institution. The new
feeling and new methods toward the
natives are such as humanity rejoices
in. They are due ID the nation, and
are intimately associated with the leg.
islative change. 1t is no small matter
il, though much may yet remain to
do, progress hiss been made in the dis
charge OF a debt, where the creditors
arel260, 100000 Of our fellow creatures,
each of them with deep aud indi.
vidusl concern"
Then his reference TO the progress
of the Colonies is equally suggestive:
"With respect, sgain, to the great
aud overgrowing Colonial Empire OF
the Queen, the change has been yet
more marked. Before Lord Grey's re-
form act, colonies were governed in
and from Downing street. An adher-
encs to the methods tnen in uss would
undoubtedly before this time have
split the Empire. The snbst tuition Of
government from within for govern.
ment from without has brought all
difficulties within manageable bounds,
and has opened new era Of content
which is also consolidation"
In Europe the period has also been
a very great one. "Never," writes Mr..
Gladstone, in a burst OF enthusiasm
for oppressed nstionalities, "has there
been such a golden age" Belgium has
been set free, Germany )nsolidated,
Italy reconstructed. Hungary replaced
10 its historic rights, Spain and Portu-
gal helped toward liberty, Greece en-
larged, and 100000 CHRISTIANS I'M
der Ottoman rule restored in the
main to freedom, to justice, and to
hope" Even the Crimesn war itself,
though an ugly episode, can be looked
upon as IAN attempt, not wholly I'M
successful, to apply European author
ity toward keeping the peace OF Eu-
rope" and the Alabama Claims hrbi-
tration is referred to in terms of justi-
fable pride.
As regards fuance, Mr.. Gladstone
refers to the fact that, while our pop
ulat,on has less than doubled, our ex-
penditurs has more than trebled in
the last fifty years. Yet, the public
credit has been Wig )rously maintain-
ed" and oar debt has been reduced
by $P0000,00O. Then gross and cruel
sDortA have been abandoned, while a
healty love for athletics has taken its
place. "Mendicity," says the writer,
perhaps rather too hopefully, Except
in seat ons of special distress, has near
ly disappeared If our artisans COM
bine las IN ey we'll may partly to up
hold their 1ages, il is also greatly
with The noble ooj ct OF keeping all
the members OF their enormous class
independent of public alma. They
have forwarded tue cluse OF self.
restrain, and maniully defended
themselves sgai st themselves, by
promoting restraints upol the traffic
in strong liquors." Among the up
per classes" swearing and duelling
have nearly disappeared. We are
more resolute than We ever were to
drag public mischiefs into the light of
day.
"The multiplication and better for
JUS lhbblbullDbo VI bShONO-
lence among Us are but symptomatic
indications of wider and deeper
change; a silent but mora extensive
and practical acknowledgment of the
great second commandment, OF the
duties OF wealth to poverty, OF strength
to weakness, of knowledge to igaor.
rance, in a word of man to man. And
the sum of the matter seems to be
that, upon the who q, and in degree,
we who lived fifty, sixty, seventy
years back, and are living now, have
lived into a gentler time; that the
public conscience has grown more
tender, as indeed was very needtul /;
and that, ins matters OF practice, a.
sight # evils formerly regarded with
Indifference or even connivauce, it
now not only winces, but reb els; that
upon the whole tho race has been
| reaping. and not scattering; earning,
and not wasting; and that without It's
being said that ths old prophet ia
wrong, it may be said that the young
prophet was unquestionably right"
The authors opinions or tendencies
in the treatment Of socia ism may per-
hsp4 be OWNED from this passage:
81 observe that in the sphere OF the
State the business CT the last half CEN
fury has been in the main process Of
setting free the individual man that
he may work out his vocation without
wsnton hindrance, az his Maker will
have him do. II, instead Of this, gov
eminent is to work out his vocation
for him, l for one am not ssnguine as
to the result"
With warning against the ten
dency of plutoCracy, or as MIR. Glad
stone calls it, "plo1tocraey," 10 infect
its nobler sister aristoCracy; not 10
allow the dethron emsnt Of custom to
be synonymous With the displacement
of reverence; and to strive after the
old sim plicity Of life, ancient manners,
and the true soul of chivalry, with the
death of which al that Is good in So
ciety would die, this very impressive
essay comes to O conclusion. The
closing lines contain the summary and
the moral of the preceding pages;
"JustiCe does not require, nay,
rather, she forbids, that the jubilee Of
the Q leen be marred by tragic tones"